1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a technology of separating estrogen from placenta, and more particularly to a method which can not only reduce or remove estrogen from placenta, but also deodorize, remove bitterness, enhance the taste, and ensure food safety.
2. Description of Related Art
Placenta contains a wide range of bioactive ingredients, and may produce almost all substances that can be found in any human organ to support the growth and development of the fetus in the mother's womb. This biochemical treasure supplies substances to the growing fetus that cannot be generated by itself. Placenta also contains a variety of enzymes that support the metabolism of steroid hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone. Placenta can also adjust the body's functional state, enhance body immunity, and resist allergy. Scientific studies showed that extracts obtained from the placenta can be widely used in biomedical/medical areas such as for whitening, moisturizing and accelerating cell healing and regeneration, regulating the female endocrine, fully and effectively improving the human skin-aging, promoting skin whitening, increasing skin elasticity, preventing wrinkles and enhancing cell activities, resisting allergies and tumors, and improving memory.
Moreover, the ingredient of estrogen is Estrogens. In recent years, women realize that they must supplement additional hormone to replenish the decreasing estrogen after menopause. However, the hormone replacement therapy has been stopped recently in the U.S. because research shows that long-term hormone supplementation may cause cancer. According to American FDA's requirement, Estrogens content in cosmetic products should be less than 10,000 IU/ounce.
For the conventional technologies of separating and removing estrogen from placenta as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,784,960, 4,423,151, 5,565,199 and No. 20070087001, No. 20040132086, most methods separate estrogen from placenta with strong acid, strong base, and enzyme or by heating and adding organic solvent. Estrogen ingredients may be decomposed when treated with acid, alkali and enzyme, and then separated with organic solvent requiring 100˜1000 times of aqueous solution or solvent for de-estrogen. Following de-estrogen, subsequent complicated concentration, separation and purification procedures are required. The damage of acid and alkali on effective functional ingredients and enzyme activity should be taken into consideration, thus, mass production is infeasible.